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</table></div><div></div></div></div></div><div class="t-navbar-sep"> </div><div class="t-navbar-head"><strong class="selflink"> Statements</strong><div class="t-navbar-menu"><div><div style="display:inline-block">
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<tr class="t-nv-h2"><td colspan="5"> Labels </td></tr>
<tr class="t-nv"><td colspan="5"><div class="t-nv-ln-table"><div><a href="statements.html#Labels" title="c/language/statements"><span class="t-lines"><span><span class="t-spar">label</span> : <span class="t-spar">statement</span></span></span></a></div></div></td></tr>
<tr class="t-nv-h2"><td colspan="5"> Expression statements </td></tr>
<tr class="t-nv"><td colspan="5"><div class="t-nv-ln-table"><div><a href="statements.html#Expression_statements" title="c/language/statements"><span class="t-lines"><span><span class="t-spar">expression</span> ;</span></span></a></div></div></td></tr>
<tr class="t-nv-h2"><td colspan="5"> Compound statements </td></tr>
<tr class="t-nv"><td colspan="5"><div class="t-nv-ln-table"><div><a href="statements.html#Compound_statements" title="c/language/statements"><span class="t-lines"><span>{ <span class="t-spar">statement</span>... }</span></span></a></div></div></td></tr>
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<p>Statements are fragments of the C program that are executed in sequence. The body of any function is a compound statement, which, in turn is a sequence of statements and declarations:
</p>
<div dir="ltr" class="mw-geshi" style="text-align: left;"><div class="c source-c"><pre class="de1"><span class="kw4">int</span> main<span class="br0">(</span><span class="kw4">void</span><span class="br0">)</span>
<span class="br0">{</span> <span class="co1">// start of a compound statement</span>
    <span class="kw4">int</span> n <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="nu0">1</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// declaration (not a statement)</span>
    n <span class="sy1">=</span> n<span class="sy2">+</span><span class="nu0">1</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// expression statement</span>
    <a href="../io/fprintf.html"><span class="kw851">printf</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"n = %d<span class="es1">\n</span>"</span>, n<span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// expression statement</span>
    <span class="kw1">return</span> <span class="nu0">0</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// return statement</span>
<span class="br0">}</span> <span class="co1">// end of compound statement, end of function body</span></pre></div></div>
<p><br>
There are five types of statements:
</p>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">1)</span> <a href="statements.html#Compound_statements">compound statements</a></div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">2)</span> <a href="statements.html#Expression_statements">expression statements</a></div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">3)</span> <a href="statements.html#Selection_statements">selection statements</a></div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">4)</span> <a href="statements.html#Iteration_statements">iteration statements</a></div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">5)</span> <a href="statements.html#Jump_statements">jump statements</a></div>
 <table class="t-rev-begin">
<tr class="t-rev t-since-c23"><td>
<p>An <a href="attributes.html" title="c/language/attributes">attribute specifier sequence</a> (<span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span>) can be applied to an unlabeled statement, in which case (except for an expression statement) the attributes are applied to the respective statement.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span></td></tr>
</table>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Labels">Labels</span></h3>
<p>Any statement can be <i>labeled</i>, by providing a name followed by a colon before the statement itself.
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <span class="t-spar">identifier</span> <code><b>:</b></code>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>case</b></code> <span class="t-spar">constant-expression</span> <code><b>:</b></code>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>default</b></code> <code><b>:</b></code>
</td>
<td> (3)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">1)</span> Target for <a href="goto.html" title="c/language/goto">goto</a>.</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">2)</span> Case label in a <a href="switch.html" title="c/language/switch">switch</a> statement.</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">3)</span> Default label in a <a href="switch.html" title="c/language/switch">switch</a> statement.</div>
<p>Any statement (but not a declaration) may be preceded by any number of <i>labels</i>, each of which declares <span class="t-spar">identifier</span> to be a label name, which must be unique within the enclosing function (in other words, label names have <a href="scope.html" title="c/language/scope">function scope</a>).
</p><p>Label declaration has no effect on its own, does not alter the flow of control, or modify the behavior of the statement that follows in any way.
</p>
 <table class="t-rev-begin">
<tr class="t-rev t-until-c23"><td>
<p>A label shall be followed by a statement.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-until-c23">(until C23)</span></td></tr>
<tr class="t-rev t-since-c23"><td>
<p>A label can appear without its following statement. If a label appears alone in a block, it behaves as if it is followed by a <a href="statements.html#Expression_statements">null statement</a>.
</p><p>The optional <a href="attributes.html" title="c/language/attributes"><span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span></a> is applied to the label.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span></td></tr>
</table>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Compound_statements">Compound statements</span></h3>
<p>A compound statement, or <i>block</i>, is a brace-enclosed sequence of statements and declarations.
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <code><b>{</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span> <code>|</code> <span class="t-spar">declaration</span>...<span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>} </b></code>
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-until-c23">(until C23)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>{</b></code> <span class="t-spar">unlabeled-statement</span> <code>|</code> <span class="t-spar">label</span> <code>|</code> <span class="t-spar">declaration</span>...<span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>} </b></code>
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<p>The compound statement allows a set of declarations and statements to be grouped into one unit that can be used anywhere a single statement is expected (for example, in an <a href="if.html" title="c/language/if">if</a> statement or an iteration statement):
</p>
<div dir="ltr" class="mw-geshi" style="text-align: left;"><div class="c source-c"><pre class="de1"><span class="kw1">if</span> <span class="br0">(</span>expr<span class="br0">)</span> <span class="co1">// start of if-statement</span>
<span class="br0">{</span> <span class="co1">// start of block</span>
  <span class="kw4">int</span> n <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="nu0">1</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// declaration</span>
  <a href="../io/fprintf.html"><span class="kw851">printf</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"%d<span class="es1">\n</span>"</span>, n<span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// expression statement</span>
<span class="br0">}</span> <span class="co1">// end of block, end of if-statement</span></pre></div></div>
<p>Each compound statement introduces its own <a href="scope.html" title="c/language/scope">block scope</a>.
</p><p>The initializers of the variables with automatic <a href="storage_duration.html" title="c/language/storage duration">storage duration</a> declared inside a block and the VLA declarators are executed when flow of control passes over these declarations in order, as if they were statements:
</p>
<div dir="ltr" class="mw-geshi" style="text-align: left;"><div class="c source-c"><pre class="de1"><span class="kw4">int</span> main<span class="br0">(</span><span class="kw4">void</span><span class="br0">)</span>
<span class="br0">{</span> <span class="co1">// start of block</span>
  <span class="br0">{</span> <span class="co1">// start of block</span>
       <a href="../io/puts.html"><span class="kw836">puts</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"hello"</span><span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// expression statement</span>
       <span class="kw4">int</span> n <span class="sy1">=</span> <a href="../io/fprintf.html"><span class="kw851">printf</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"abc<span class="es1">\n</span>"</span><span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// declaration, prints "abc", stores 4 in n</span>
       <span class="kw4">int</span> a<span class="br0">[</span>n<span class="sy2">*</span><a href="../io/fprintf.html"><span class="kw851">printf</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"1<span class="es1">\n</span>"</span><span class="br0">)</span><span class="br0">]</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// declaration, prints "1", allocates 8*sizeof(int)</span>
       <a href="../io/fprintf.html"><span class="kw851">printf</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"%zu<span class="es1">\n</span>"</span>, <span class="kw4">sizeof</span><span class="br0">(</span>a<span class="br0">)</span><span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// expression statement</span>
  <span class="br0">}</span> <span class="co1">// end of block, scope of n and a ends</span>
  <span class="kw4">int</span> n <span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="nu0">7</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// n can be reused</span>
<span class="br0">}</span></pre></div></div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Expression_statements">Expression statements</span></h3>
<p>An expression followed by a semicolon is a statement.
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">expression</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span> <span class="t-spar">expression</span> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td> <span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span>
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<p>Most statements in a typical C program are expression statements, such as assignments or function calls.
</p><p>An expression statement without an expression is called a <i>null statement</i>. It is often used to provide an empty body to a <a href="for.html" title="c/language/for">for</a> or <a href="while.html" title="c/language/while">while</a> loop. It can also be used to carry a label in the end of a compound statement or before a declaration:
</p>
<div dir="ltr" class="mw-geshi" style="text-align: left;"><div class="c source-c"><pre class="de1"><a href="../io/puts.html"><span class="kw836">puts</span></a><span class="br0">(</span><span class="st0">"hello"</span><span class="br0">)</span><span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// expression statement</span>
<span class="kw4">char</span> <span class="sy2">*</span>s<span class="sy4">;</span>
<span class="kw1">while</span> <span class="br0">(</span><span class="sy2">*</span>s<span class="sy2">++</span> <span class="sy3">!</span><span class="sy1">=</span> <span class="st0">'<span class="es5">\0</span>'</span><span class="br0">)</span>
    <span class="sy4">;</span> <span class="co1">// null statement</span></pre></div></div>
 <table class="t-rev-begin">
<tr class="t-rev t-since-c23"><td>
<p>The optional <a href="attributes.html" title="c/language/attributes"><span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span></a> is applied to the expression.
</p><p>An <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span> followed by <code><b>;</b></code> does not form an expression statement. It forms an <a href="declarations.html" title="c/language/declarations">attribute declaration</a> instead.
</p>
</td>
<td><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span></td></tr>
</table>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Selection_statements">Selection statements</span></h3>
<p>The selection statements choose between one of several statements depending on the value of an expression.
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>if</b></code> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>if</b></code> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span> <code><b>else</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>switch</b></code> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span>
</td>
<td> (3)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">1)</span> <a href="if.html" title="c/language/if">if</a> statement</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">2)</span> <a href="if.html" title="c/language/if">if</a> statement with an else clause</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">3)</span> <a href="switch.html" title="c/language/switch">switch</a> statement</div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Iteration_statements">Iteration statements</span></h3>
<p>The iteration statements repeatedly execute a statement.
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>while</b></code> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>do</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span> <code><b>while</b></code> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>for</b></code> <code><b>(</b></code> <span class="t-spar">init-clause</span> <code><b>;</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>;</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>)</b></code> <span class="t-spar">statement</span>
</td>
<td> (3)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">1)</span> <a href="while.html" title="c/language/while">while</a> loop</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">2)</span> <a href="do.html" title="c/language/do">do-while</a> loop</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">3)</span> <a href="for.html" title="c/language/for">for</a> loop</div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Jump_statements">Jump statements</span></h3>
<p>The jump statements unconditionally transfer flow control.
</p>
<table class="t-sdsc-begin">

<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>break</b></code> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (1)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>continue</b></code> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (2)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>return</b></code> <span class="t-spar">expression</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (3)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr>
<tr class="t-sdsc">
<td> <span class="t-spar">attr-spec-seq</span><span class="t-mark">(optional)</span><span class="t-mark-rev t-since-c23">(since C23)</span> <code><b>goto</b></code> <span class="t-spar">identifier</span> <code><b>;</b></code>
</td>
<td> (4)
</td>
<td class="t-sdsc-nopad">
</td></tr>



<tr>
<td colspan="10" class="t-sdsc-sep">
</td></tr></table>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">1)</span> <a href="break.html" title="c/language/break">break</a> statement</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">2)</span> <a href="continue.html" title="c/language/continue">continue</a> statement</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">3)</span> <a href="return.html" title="c/language/return">return</a> statement with an optional expression</div>
<div class="t-li1"><span class="t-li">4)</span> <a href="goto.html" title="c/language/goto">goto</a> statement</div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span></h3>
<div class="t-ref-std-17">
<ul><li> C17 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2018): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.8 Statements and blocks (p: 106-112)
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="t-ref-std-11">
<ul><li> C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.8 Statements and blocks (p: 146-154)
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="t-ref-std-c99">
<ul><li> C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 6.8 Statements and blocks (p: 131-139)
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="t-ref-std-c89">
<ul><li> C89/C90 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1990): 
</li></ul>
<dl><dd><ul><li> 3.6 STATEMENTS 
</li></ul>
</dd></dl>
</div>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span></h3>
<table class="t-dsc-begin">

</table>

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